Electric clock.



- No. 686,222. A Patemd Nov. 5, |9ol.

T. E. HEETER.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

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ELECTRIC CLOCK.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.`

THOMAS E. HEETER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,222, dated November5, 1901.

Application iiled January 7, 1901. Serial No. 42,334. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS F.. HEETER, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, inthe State of Missouri, haveinvented a certain new and useful Electromechanical Clock, of which thefollowing is such a full, clear, and eXact description as will enableany one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to clocks the actuating means of which is anautomatic electromagnetic mechanism attached to the center arbor of theclock-train and energized int-ermittently bya suitable source ofelectric current.

- The object of my invention is to provide an electric-clock drivingmechanism which will operate the clock-train smoothly and withoutinterruption with the smallest possible amount of attention and aminimum consum ption of electrical energy.

Before my invention when electrically-actuated weighted levers have beenemployed in driving a clock-train their motion has been reciprocal. Insuch case in order to avoid the necessity of stopping,r the clock-trainduring a part of such reciprocation of the leverthat is, during itsreturn tooperative positionmit has been necessary to interpose betweenthe lever and the clock-train aspring or weight or equivalent device inorder to continu'e uninterrupted the motion of the clock mechanism. Myinvention, on the contrary, may be employed without such interposedmeans, the movement of the weighted lever or levers being circular andnot reciprocating and needing only the use of the usual escapement-wheelor equivalent controlling device to regulate its action.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, inwhich like characters of reference refer to like parts in the severalviews, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a clock embodying one form of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the electromechanical meansfor operating the clock-train, the clock mechanism itself being omitted.Fig. 3 is avertical section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1, parts of theclcck-train being omitted. Fig. 4. is a vertical section on the line 44, Fig.

2, and Fig. 5 is a diagram of a way of connecting up the electricalcircuit for operating the clock-driving mechanism.

In Figs. 1 and 3, 10 and 11 represent, respectively, the front and backplates of a suitable clock-frame, which carries a clock-train 12 of anyknown arrangement. To the center arbor 13 of this clock-train is rigidlyattached the wheel 14, in the periph ery of which are the equally-spaceddovetailed notches 15. Sleeved upon the centerarbor 13 between the wheel1st and the back plate 11 and held in position by the collar 16 are thearms 17, so bent that the cylindrical weights 1S, fastened to theirextremities by the set-screws 19, will occupy positions in substantiallythe same vertical plane and project somewhat over the periphery of thewheel14,as best shown in Fig. 3. Fastened by means of screws 2O todownward projections 21 and 22 of the front and back plates 10 and 11 isthe base-plate 23, to which is fastened by screws 2i the electromagnet25, the pole-pieces 26 of which, as best shown in Fig. 2, extend upwardand are in close proximity to the armature 27, sleeved upon the centerarbor 13 between the front and back plates 10 and 11. In practice thisarmature may advantageously be surrounded with a casting of lead orother heavy metal, which forms, with the armature, a thick heavy diskand acts as a iiy-wheel during the operation of my invention, asdescribed below. This expedient, however, is optional and does not acectthe successful operation of my invention. From one side of the armature27 depends the rearwardly-bent lever 28, having at or near its lowerextremity the arm 29, projecting from it rearwardly and at right angles.This arm is adapted to engage with pins 30, loosely set in perforationsin the weights 18. These pins 30 have on their ends nearest to the wheel14 beveled enlargements 31, which limit the outward motion of the pinsthrough the perforations in the weights 1S and are adapted to engagewith the dovetailed notches 15 in the periphery of the wheel 111 whensaid pins occupy their inmost positions, as hereinafter described.Adapted to engage with the outward ends of the pins when the same occupynearly their extreme outward position from the center arbor 13 is thesegmental race 39, preferably made of IOO electroccnductive material.The pins 30 when in their extreme outward position are also adapted toengage with the arm 32, which projects rearwardly atright angles to theupward extension 33 of the back plate 11. This arm is preferably coveredwith a sleeve 32, of felt or similar material, for a purpose hereinafterdescribed.

In Fig. 5 is shown a way of arranging the electric circuit for operatingmy invention. Here 3i represents a battery, the component cells of whichare preferably of the kind known as dry cells. One of the terminals ofthis battery is connected by means of a wire 35 to the race 39, Whilethe other terminal is connected to a wire 36, which passes in turnaround the cores of the electromagnet in the usual way and is thenfastened at 37 to the arm 38, which in this gure represents one of thearms 17 with its attached weight 18 and pin 30. The lower extremity ofthe arm 38 contacts with the race 39, and thus completes the electriccircuit. A way of carrying out this form of connection in actualpractice is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the only difference being that thewire 36 as it leaves the electromagnetic coil 25 is simply fastened t0 apoint on the frame of the clock instead of being carried directly toeach of the arms 17. In Fig. 2 one of the pins 30 is represented ascompleting the circuit through the race 39. In this case the wholeclock-frame being magnetized it is necessary to employ a hairspring ofnon magnetic material, such as platinum.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Supposing the arms 17,bearing the weights 18, to be placed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 that is,distributed so that each weight is in such position that the enlargement31 on its pin 30 engages one of the dovetailed notches 15 in theperiphery of the wheel 1.4, thus holding the weight in position overthis notchit will be evident that if the number and size ofthe weightsbe sufficient the wheel 14 will be rotated in the direction of the arrowand that the clock-train will be set in motion. In

order, however, to prolong this motion, it is necessary that when eachweight reaches approximately the lowest point during its rotation withthe wheel 14E it shall be restored to its operative position at thetopmost point of this rotation. This is accomplished in the followingway: Owing to the weight of the bent lever 28 the armature 27 willassume the position shown in the drawings, causing said lever to hangnearly vertically. When one of the weights 18 has reached its lowestposition during rotation, its pin 30, after having passed the arm 29 ofthe lever 28, will be disengaged by its own Weight from the dovetailednotch 15 and will fall in front of the arm 29 until its end comes incontact with the race 39. This dropping of the pin is made positive bythe dovetailed shape of the notches cooperating with the beveledpinheads. This contact, as explained above in connection with Fig. 5,closes the electric circuit through the coils of the electromagnet 25,and the armature 27 being within the field generated by the poles 26will be suddenly moved into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig.2, causing the lever 28 to move rapidly in the direction of rotation ofthe wheel 14 and weights 18, carrying with it that one of these weightswhose pin by dropping in front of the arm 29 has contacted with the race31, and thus set the lever in motion by completing the electric circuit.When the weight has been carried forward until its pin 30 leaves therace 39, the electric circuit is broken; but owing to the impetusalready imparted to the lever 28 and the heavy disk, of which thearmature 27 forms part, the lever will continue to urge the weightupward until or nearly until the pin 30, still held in its extendedposition by the centrifugal effect produced upon it by its rapidcircular movement, strikes noiselessly and without jar the felt sleeve32n of the arm 32,as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and becoming againstationary drops by its own weight into one of the notches 15, when theweight 18 is again in position to assist in operating the clock-train.In the meantime the lever 28 has returned by its own weight to itsoriginal position, and when the next weight 18 has progressed far enoughto drop its pin and renew the electric circuit the operation abovedescribed will be repeated.

It is obvious that many changes may be made in the device shown anddescribed hereinas embodying myinvention. Forinstance, the wheel 14sneed not be carried directly by the center arbor, but may be connectedtherewith by a suitable gearing, the number of weights may be largelyvaried, other ways of making the requisite electrical connections may beused, and many different forms of magnets and armatures may be employed;but all these modifications may be made without departing from myinvention in the least and are intended to be covered by the claimshereto annexed.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the Un-ited States, is-- 1. In anelectromechanical clock, the colubination with a clock-train, of apivoted arm adapted to revolve in a substantially Vertical plane, arotary member for actuating said train, electromagnetic means forpropelling said arm upward at one side of said rotary member, and meansfor actuating said clocktrain from the downward movement of said arm atthe other side of said rotary member.

2. In an electromechanical clock, the combination with a clock-train, ofa plurality of pivoted arms adapted to revolve in a substantiallyvertical plane, a rotary member actuating said train, electromagneticmeans for successively propelling said arms upward at IOO IOS

one side or" said rotary member, and means for actuating said entiretrain fromthe downward movement of said arms at the other side of saidrotary member.

3. In an electromechanical clock, the combination with the clock-train,of a rotary member for actuating said train, a revolving arm,electromagnetic means for propelling said arm upward at one side of saidrotary member while out of engagement therewith, and means for engagingsaid arm with said rotary member during its downward movement at theother side of said rotary member.

4. In an electromechanical clock, the combination with the clock-train,of a rotary member for actuating said train, a plurality of revolvingarms, electromagnetic means for propelling said arms upward at one sideof said rotary member while out of-engagement therewith, and means forengaging said arms with said rotary member during their downwardmovement at the other side of said rotary member.

5. In an electromechanical clock, the combination with the clock-train,of a rotary member for actuating said train, a revolving arm pivoted insubstantial alinement with the axis of rotation of said rotary member,electromagnetic means for propelling said arm upward at one side of saidrotary member while out of engagement therewith, and means for engagingsaid arm with said rotary member during its downward movement at theother side of said rotary member.

6. In an electromechanical clock, the combination with the clock-train,of a rotary member for actuating said train, a plurality of revolvingarms pivoted in substantial alinement with the axis of rotation of saidrotary member, electromagnetic means for propelling said arms upward atone side of said rotary member while out of engagement therewith, andmeans for engaging said arms with said rotary member during theirdownward movement at the other side of said rotary member.

7. In an electromechanical clock, the combination with the clock-trainof a rotary member for driving said train, a plurality of revolvingarms, electromagnetic means for propelling said arms successively upwardwhile out of engagement with said rotary member, and a stop for limitingthe movement of said arms at their highest point until they becomeengaged with said rotary member.

8. In an electromechanical clock, the combination With a clock-train, ofa rotary member lfor driving said train, a revolving arm, a Weightcarried by said arm, a pin sliding in said weight and adapted to engagewith said rotary member, an electromagnet for propelling said weightupward while said pin is out of engagement with said rotary member, anda stop for limiting the movement of said Weight at its highest pointuntil said pin becomes engaged with said rotary member.

9. In an electromechanical clock, a plurals ity of pivoted arms, adaptedto revolve in a substantially vertical plane, weights attached to saidarms, a driving-wheel attached to the clock-train, notches in saiddriving-wheel, electromagnetic means for propelling said arms throughthe upward half of their revolution, and pins reciprocating in saidweights for engaging said notches during the downward motion of saidarms.

10. In an electromechanical clock, a plurality of pivoted weighted armsadapted to rotate in a substantially vertical plane, a driving-wheel forthe clock-train, means for attaching said weighted arms to said drivin gwheel during the downward portion of the revolution of said arms, and anelectromagnetic device controlled by said weightattacl1 ing means forpropelling said arms through the upward portion of their revolution.

l1. In an electromechanical clock, a revolvA ing arm, a driving-wheelfor the clock-train, dovetailed notches in said driving-wheel, areciprocating pin carried by said arm and having a beveled head forengagement with said notches during the downward revolution of said arm,and electromagnetic means, controlled by the reciprocation of said pin,for propelling lsaid arm through the upward portion of its revolution.

12. In an electromechanical clock, a plu.

rality of arms adapted to revolve in a substantially vertical plane, adriving-wheel for the clock-train, dovetailed notches in saiddriving-wheel, reciprocating pins carried by said arms and havingbeveled heads for engaging with said notches during the downs wardrevolution of said arms, and electromagnetic means controlled by thereoiprocation of said pins for propelling said arms through the upwardportion of their revolution.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sot my hand and affixed my seal inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS E. I-IEETER. [L. s]

Witnesses:

H. HOPKINS, ORPH W. GoworLL.

